zainalrahim@penang.gov.my

to me

8:02 AM (4 hours ago)

Hai Molly.,

Thanks for sharing your opinion.

Zainal

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Our PM has just launched his ‘1 Malaysia logo’ with singing and dancing in an air of festivity. Elsewhere, other parties follow suit. While we didn’t sing and dance here in TSNRA, we all come under this logo. Our Taman is after all a mini ‘1 Malaysia’ with its potpourri of races in our Taman melting pot. Always bearing in mind that we are apolitical, we must support and work closely with our government of the day.

Let me share with you my views on unity. I totally support our PM in his concept of 1 Malaysia. I want our future generation to grow up in a blessed land where they do not see the colours of the skin but the beauty of the hearts.

I grew up in such a generation a long time ago. One of my good friends was a Malay girl called Mariam who used to come over to my house for sleepovers. I still remember her looks – quite fair with adolescent pimples and bespectacled with a short bob. We would play badminton over the fence or just read and chat. In Assunta Convent, we made skipping ropes with colourful rubber bands, kicked fragrant frangipanis tied with a rubber band and played ‘five stones’ with chilli-red angsana seeds sewn into tiny bags. During recess, we girls of all races played happily – race was never an issue. Our Mother Superior made sure of that, constantly reminding us that God loves all His little children – red or yellow, black or white, they are precious in His sight, and we should do likewise.

It was in the midst of our Form Six years that we had to suffer the bleakest period in Malaysian history – May the 13th. Mariam and I remained close friends and we didn’t understand why all these terrible atrocities were happening around us. I do not wish to dwell on this dark chapter in my life. But I do want to share with you the close bond that all our Chinese, Malay and Indian school friends shared for many years to come after this. My father and Mariam’s father also remained good friends until the day her father passed away.

Today, unity remains a serious issue. I do not wish to hop onto the ‘who-blames-who-merry-go-round’. Every time I read the pages of our dailies or watch the news on TV, some leaders are blaming others for some mess somewhere. Issues never get solved this way. Our government has many campaigns and programs planned to instill the concept of 1 Malaysia. But will all these bear good fruits? Deep within my spirit there’s a grave concern for my country and all her future generations.

Today’s young people are an IT-savvy lot. They are often in front of their PCs or I-phones and they absorb a lot of info, good or bad. Their parents may or may not have a lot of influence on them, but their friends certainly do. All these negative squabbles among our leaders further negate their opinions of their country. They blog about it and network with their friends. Information over the www can spread like a virulent virus.

1 Malaysia has now been launched. How many of our young people will heed this call to unite as one? They are aware of what has been going on – at this age, all their senses are sharpened to the peak. Their impressionable minds are like sponges, absorbing what they read online. Their passions run high and their emotions are also volatile, prone to outbursts as they speak out loudly and act boldly.

What about their parents? They have the watched the ups and downs of our country. Some pass down their anger and bitterness to their children while others only care about themselves and their families. The rest may awaken to this call but can anyone estimate this number?

Too much has been said and done. Careless words, cuttings words, coarse words, cruel words that stab through a human heart without drawing blood – read the verses below :

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” (Proverbs 18:21)

“There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health. The truthful lip shall be established forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.” (Proverbs 12:18)

“A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.” (Proverbs 15:4)

“Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.” (Proverbs 16:24)

“Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.” (Proverbs 12:25)

“He who guards his mouth preserves his life, but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.” (Proverbs 13:3)

Such dissenting, destructive words have rooted deep into the spirit of many Malaysians. We are a nation in need of healing and forgiveness. We know about forgiving others, but we also have to forgive a nation. The Oxford Dictionary defines nation as “ a large community of people, usually sharing a common history, language etc and living under one government ”.

In the light of all these, let me share with you excerpts of a thought provoking article entitled “ Choices – Living Consciously : Are We Ready to Forgive?” by Desmond M. Tutu, Archbishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Cape Town and the recipient of many honors and degrees, including the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize.

“Is forgiveness possible at a national level? And if so, how can political leaders support that process?

A nation is made up of individual persons but it also has an ethos, a culture, a tradition, a corporate memory and identity, distinct from those individuals. A nation can do good, can triumph, can fail. A nation can be held accountable for a holocaust, and so a nation must remember national achievements of which it is proud. It must recall the things that make it hang its head in shame and perhaps be a little less arrogant as it recalls its own anguish.

Leaders can influence the mood of their people; they can make them vengeful or conciliatory; they can pander to their baser instincts or they can hold out a vision of the sublime, of the noble, of the idealistic.

We are exhorted to forgive one another. And we can do this only through God’s grace. It is ultimately God at work in us to make us to be like God. Yes, it is a tall order, but that is the love that changes the world, that believes an enemy is a friend waiting to be made.

God does not give up on anyone, for God looks on each of us as a masterpiece in the making. But God took an incredible risk in creating us not to be automatons but to be decision-making creatures with the freedom to choose to obey or not to obey God, to love or not to love God and others.

That is why we admire not the macho, the aggressively successful. No, we revere a small, frail woman, Mother Theresa because she was good. The world admires an old man, Nelson Mandela, because he is magnanimous, he is forgiving, he is good. We have an instinct for goodness, our hearts thrill in the presence of goodness for God has made us for himself and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in him.

Dear friends, please remember that ultimately there is no future without forgiveness.”

Our nation needs healing. There are wounded hearts and rejected spirits throughout our history. We have to forgive others, especially some of our leaders, for our past hurts and release them to God. When unforgiveness takes root, it will destroy lives and a nation. We can try to mask this by decorating our ‘ tree of unity’ with beautiful flowers among its branches as we dance and sing around it. However, the rot slowly creeps up from the roots and weakens the tree. One fine day, we may wake up to find it has uprooted and fallen to the ground. When we forgive, we are healed and we are set free. Then and only then can we move on to make Malaysia a truly great nation.

What a morning ! At around 11am I got into the lift on the ground floor of the Bayan Baru market. The door closed. I pressed the button for the 2nd floor. Nothing happened. Pressed again. Nothing. Pressed to open door. Nothing. Then it dawned on me. I was trapped. Didn’t panick so kept pressing the alarm. Again no on came. Lift maintenance people gone to don’t know where. Handphone also didn’t work – no signal inside the lift. Finally kept kicking the lift door. Someone heard. Voice said will call Bomba. Finally heard a lot of noise outside. Lift door forced opened by stern, uniformed Bomba officers. They acted fast and arrived after 20 mins as the Bomba Station was just round the corner. Thanked them and walked off in the midst of many onlookers.

I fail to see why the MPPP can’t maintain public lifts. It was so hot and stuffy inside. Ventilation fan also kaput. Again thank the Lord I didn’t suffer an asthma attack inside. If I had been a panicky person, who knows? If the lift is out of order, the lift maintenance people should at least put a sign outside and lock it. But no, they didn’t – why? Ask them if you can find them. I can’t imagine having to undergo such an ordeal all because of negligence.

Greetings from me and the District Office. Thank You for the greetings and congratulations on the new appointment of office bearers for Persatuan Penduduk Taman Sri Nibong. I hope are able to cooperate for the benefit of your community. Sent my best regards to Mr Hwang Hong Shi, President as he is my former teacher at Penang Free School.

Greetings from the Taman Sri Nibong Residents’ Association. ( TSNRA ) We just had our AGM this month and a new committee has been elected. We hope to continue working with Balik Pulau District Office for the good of the community.

This new term, we have started our own TSNRA Blog. Our aim is to better reach out to the community. We hope to make this an interesting and inspiring blog, practical to both young and old. Adults can get vital info for their careers and daily lives while students can gain important knowledge and read good articles or magazines to improve their English. We also wish to promote goodwill and understanding to all who visit. This blog should benefit everyone everywhere, not just those staying in our area.

Thank you for all you have done for us in the past years. We look forward to your visits to Tmn Sri Nibong and we will drop in at your office to pay a courtesy call.

Yang benar,

Hwang Hong Shi

Presiden

TSNRA

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Our heartiest congratulations to Tuan Haji Jusni bin Haji Ismail, our new District Officer of Barat Daya. Indeed I am very proud and happy that one of my former students of Penang Free School has distinguished himself in one of the top posts in the civil service in Penang. We are very confident that he will excel himself in his service to the community especially in his District. We are blessed to have him in our midst and we shall progress further inspired by his leadership. He is now my “sifu” and we are looking forward to meeting him one fine day. Kudos Tuan Haji and may God bless you abundantly!

The President and new Committee of the Taman Sri Nibong Residents’ Association would like to commend our State Government for their CAT policies. We are indeed happy to see that you have worked so hard especially to improve the living standards of the hardcore poor in our state and also make Penang a promising state for foreign investment and one of the top tourist destinations in the world.

We, as a Residents’ Association, would like to put forward our suggestions to further promote unity and harmony in the state. We are only a small association but we are quite an active one.To see what we have been doing so far, please visit our Blog. We hope to provide adults with all the important info and inspirations they need in their daily lives and careers. Also, we want to help young people to increase in their General Knowledge and improve their standard of English as this will equip them for a more successful future.

There are Residents’ Associations, Rukun Tetanggas and JKKKs all over Penang in nearly all housing areas and kampungs. However, each one is left on its own to care for its area. Some are functioning while others are not. It has always been our president’s dream to see the realization all these bodies united under one Penang State Unity Council. If this is not practical, then may we suggest uniting each group under its own umbrella eg Council of RTs, RAs and JKKKs ?

By uniting them, it would be much easier for the State Government to liaise with them in the promotion of a Caring Society. There could be regular ‘Brainstorming Meetings’ to pool together ideas and resources for community welfare. Without an unifying central council, we do not know how to co-operate with the others for the betterment of the larger community. We do not even know how to contact them as we are not aware of the existence of such a Directory. In the past, those without resources and manpower often just fade into oblivion. However, with support at State level, they could be revived to play an active role once more.

We feel that both National and State Unity is of utmost importance in our country. We have a number of articles on this topic in our blog. The people must unite for a common good as Malaysians so that our state and country will further progress at all possible levels and achieve international status. This may not be accomplished in the short term – unity is not a fast food. However, we can make a humble start somewhere eg. at the levels of the existing RAs, RTs and JKKKs. We can make use of what we have first, and then we can build something greater by maximizing all their human potentials and fully utilizing all their resources. Everyone of us is blessed with God given talents no matter how little. If we can tap them and pool them together, then Penang will shine above all.

I remember learning this poem as a child :

Little drops of water

Little grains of sand

Make the mighty ocean

And the beauteous land

Little deeds of kindness,

Little words of love,

Make our earth an Eden,

Like the heaven above

And the little moments,

Humble though they be,

Make the mighty ages.

Of eternity.

Mrs. J. A. Carney (1845)

We should always encourage small beginnings, so maybe we, as a Residents’ Association, can also start small and play our role in state unity by working closely with our ADUNs, MPs and State Government.

God bless you for all you have done for the people of Penang. May God grant all of you great wisdom and favour as you lead Penang into a bright future.

June 15, 2009

Way back in 2005 on 27 March, we had a tree planting gotong-royong in Taman Sri Nibong. There, at a gathering, I expressed our gratitude to the Municipal Council under the dynamic leadership of Dato Haji Phesal bin Talib, Yang DiPertua, for promoting a healthy lifestyle for the residents as the park will serve as the green lung for the Taman and surrounding areas. I continued …….

“I have dreams that this picturesque Taman with its vast field, has much to offer to the people in terms of recreation, games, sports, and relaxation. One of my most ambitious dreams is the multi-purpose hall where a number of the popular activities can be organised, games such as Badminton, Squash, Basketball, Netball, Volleyball, Sepak Takraw and Ping-Pong with the provision of Weight-training and Gymnasium. This is a costly project but weighing the tremendous benefits it will harvest for the people, I am sure our government, which advocates good health and useful activities, will find the budget worthy of its returns. With a healthy society, people are more productive, attributing to a stronger and stable government. In addition, Lawn Tennis courts should also be provided outdoors.

What about a reading corner in the park? This is one of the features found in developed countries where people just spend time reading, sitting on benches placed in a circular formation under the shade of trees. This corner also provides an opportunity for fellowship among the people, a unique way to promote Muhibbah.

There are a number of Resident Associations and JKKKs, around 15 in our kawasan. Perhaps, all these bodies should form a Majlis (Council), helping one another in times of need. In this way, we can join our resources together and strengthen our organisations in order to serve the community more forcefully and effectively. ”

Anything happened after that? No, of course not! My vision for the Taman remains just a sweet dream ……

June 5, 2009

Our heartiest congratulations to our resident, YAB Dr. Mansor Othman for having sucessfully contested the recent Penanti State seat with a resounding majority and subsequently sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister 1 of the State of Penang. We are indeed proud and delighted to have the first son of the Taman Sri Nibong soil so honoured. We wish him every success and we know that he will serve the people well, particularly those in the constituency of Penanti in the mainland. Syabas!!

We wish to convey our heartfelt congratulatios to our newly appointed Yang Berbahagia Sr. Tan Cheng Chui as the Yang DiPertua of the Municipal Council of Georgetown, Penang. We earnestly hope to work hand-in-hand with him in the Taman for its further development for the people in the neighbourhood viz. Pantai Jerejak, Century Garden, Gold Coast, Queensbay, Bayan Baru, Sungei Nibong Kecil, Lip Sin Garden, Perkaka, Sungai Dua and Bukit Jambul. They need a green lung in the Taman Sri Nibong field for exercise and recreation. There are still more facilities needed such as a couple of pavilions, benches, an open cemented ground annex to the Sepak Takraw court. We look forward to welcoming him. We wish him a very successful and enjoyable term of office.

Our MPPP President has been so courteous in his reply :

Dear Ms Molly Ooi,

Thank you so much for your felicitation. Looking forward to working together for a better Taman Sri Nibong and Penang!

The proposed Wonder Trail from Teluk Bahang to Batu Maung is a gateway to a healthy lifestyle. In our present environment and atmosphere, much needs to be done to combat the polluted air we breathe in. One way is to open up more green lungs, public parks, jogging tracks for walks and runs, and recreational spaces for sports and games.

This brainchild of YB Sim Tze Tzin, an outdoor enthusiast, deserves much credit and praise for his dream plan. It will definitely benefit the young and old. This project will promote healthy activities like cycling, walking and jogging and ecotourism. The State government should look into it seriously and make this project a reality for Penangnites.

As one who has benefitted much from outdoor pursuits such as hiking, camping. jungle tracking and sporting activities in the past, this Wonder Trail will really do wonders especially for the young. The young need to have more healthy avenues to expand their energy that will mould them into useful and hardy personalities. You never grow old if you know how to take care of yourself especially in your youth and you will continue to be an asset, not a liability to society.